I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the steamer "Ethelburga" engaged a crew at the port of Glasgow on the 7th June, and that only two qualified able seamen wore engaged; whether he can state if the superintendent at Glasgow reported this case to the Board of Trade surveyor; and whether the surveyor was of the opinion that the ship was fully and properly manned by qualified men.
I find that the deck hands engaged on the "Ethelburga" on the 7th instant were one boatswain, two A.B.'s, three seamen, one ordinary seaman, one apprentice. As the manning complied with the minimum requirements, the case was not referred to the surveyors, and no report has been made by them with regard to it.
Will the right hon. Gentleman define what he means by "three seamen." I assume they must be either A.B.'s or ordinary seamen.
Three ordinary seamen, certainly.